Public demands for better coordination of services and collaboration between multiple delivery partners has seen the development of a Living Well Centre in Carmarthen.
Serving the whole of Carmarthenshire primarily with over 15 partner organisations currently committed to using the facility, the centre – on the grounds of Parc Dewi Sant – is the brainchild of PLANED, the regional community development charity that covers Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, and Pembrokeshire.
The centre will host an array of primary care health, third sector and support services ranging from mental health, dementia and carer support to information and advice, education, arts and exercise classes, amongst other activities, but providing clients and visitors with a coordinated and joined up approach that empowers the individual.
Lucy Cummings of PLANED said:
“Thanks to the owners of Parc Dewi Sant, we have managed to secure a building on the site which currently offers 11 offices and two large meeting and activity rooms. We’ve also managed to secure a small external funding award, to ensure that all our tenants’ overheads are covered for the first few months, to maximise their own existing funds being spent on clients and services.”
Chief Executive of PLANED, Iwan Thomas added:
“We are grateful to our team and partners externally for believing in, and committing to this vision for a shared space of multiple organisations working together, to make it as easy and seamless as possible for clients and service users. Our own PLANED organisational vision of Empowering Communities since 2022 has seen us expand our projects from Pembrokeshire, to working across the three counties on a regional footprint, in response to the needs and demands of communities and partners, and mirroring the footprint of Hywel Dda University Health Board. This project is a great showcase of how delivery focused collaboration, that negates unnecessary duplication and competition, can genuinely deliver results.”
An open day to mark the official launch of the Living Well Centre will showcase the services and support from existing partners including Age Cymru Dyfed, Crossroads Carers Trust, Coleg Sir Gar Multiply Project, People Speak Up, The Cae, Shadows, and Foothold Cymru, amongst many others.
